Printing-press register means



May 6, 1924.; 3,493,200

. c. HENDERSON PRINTING PRESS REGISTER MEANS Filed Feb. l 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (a/"Z Henderson,

' Ma a, 1924. 1,493,200

c. HENDERSON PRINTING PRESS REGISTER MEANS Filed Feb. 1 1922 3 Sheets-$heet 3 f T M5665 I we or May 6 1924. 1,493,200

- c. HENDERSON PRINTING i REss' REGISTER MEANS aile reb. 1. i922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 50/2, 11;?162355- [QWZ ffeizcier Patented May 6, I924.

NITED sures PATENT" OFFICE,

CARL HENDERSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGnon To MIEHLE PRINTING I' tnss &

MANUFACTURING oo vIPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A conronnrron or ILL noIs.

PRINTING-PRESS REGISTER MEANS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HENDERSON, a citizen of the United'States, residin' at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Press Register Means, of which the following is a in section, of another part of the preliminary specification. 1

This invention relates to printing presses, and more particularly to preliminary side register means.

In printing presses, and particularly those provided with automatic feeding devices, the sheets are conveyed a certain distance from the feeding pile to the printing cylinders. It is difficult, if not impossible, to so arrange the sheets in the feeding pile that each one thereof will be delivered to the transfer or conveying mechanism at exactly the same point. Therefore, it is desirable that means he provided for not only guiding the paper in its travel, but for shifting the same laterally ifnecessary to bring it into proper relation with the registering mechanism at substantially the point of engagement with the cylinder. The main registering mechanism will act to properly position a sheet if it is only a'small amount out of register, but if received more than one-half inch out of register, for example, it will not register it properly.

One object of the present invention is to provide simple, reliable and efficient preliminary side register means whereby the successive sheets of'fed paper may be presented to the main registering means practically in side register position.

Another object is to provide improved side register mechanism in which the various parts cooperate in a manner for successful commercial operation.

These and other objects are accomplished, by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a printing press embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same same arrangement-shown in Figure 3, but

at 'an' angle of 90 with respect thereto,

Figure 5 is a detail top plan View, partly side register means; I

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same parts shownin Figure 5; d I m Figure 7 is adiagram showing circuit connections for controlling t heextent'of side register movement of the sheets of paper.

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures of the drawings,

it will be noted that I have disclosed my in- Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view show- .ing a part of the side register control mechvention in connection with a printing press having side frame members 11, between Which sheet feeding rollers 12 are mounted for conveying sheets from the preliminary side register means to the main front and side register means indicated generally at 13. The sheets are fed toward the preliminary side register means on tapes 14, which pass around a roll 15. v,

Mount-ed on the frame members 11 are two bearing brackets 16 in which a shaft 17 is rotatably oscillated and also endwise movable. Secured to the shaft 17 are two arms 18, in the outer ends of which is mounted a shaft 19 carrying two drop rolls20. -Moun'ted on the shaft 19 is a gear 21 meshing with,

an intermediate gear 22 in turn meshing with agear 23 loosely mounted on shaft 17, which gear 23 in turn may be driven from a gear on one side-of the rollers 12. The drop rolls 20 are driven in'a counterclockw-isedirection as viewed in Figure 1, for the purpose of assisting in the progressive feeding of paper which is fed between the rolls 20 andfeed rolls 12. The drop rolls 20 are raised preparatory to receiving a sheet of paper by the action of a cam: 24 mounted on a shaft 25, a roller 26 mounted in on'e'ar-m 27 of a bell crank lever 28" cooperating with said cam. The bell crank lever 28 is pivoted at 29 and has a second arm 30' to which one end of a link 31 is pivoted, the other end being pivotally connected to one end of an arm 32 fixed to the shaft 17. It is seen, therefore, that as the cam 24' is rotated, the drop rolls are given an up and down movement, the upward movement of the drop rolls 20 permitting the release of said sheet at the time that it passes into operative association with the main register mechanism 13.

As soon as a. sheet of paper is received between and engaged by the drop rolls 20 and the associated under rolls-12, the sheet is given a sidewise or lateral movementfor a preliminary side register of the sheet. This lateral movement is effected through a second cam 33 mounted on shaft 25, and properly timed with respect to the associated cam 24 to function in the proper sequence. Cooperating with the cam 33 is 'a roller 34 mounted in one arm 35'of a bell crank lever 36 pivotedat 37 and having a second arm 38 to which one end of a link 39 is pivoted, the other end of said link being operatively connected to one arm 40 of a T-shaped lever pivoted at the upper end of its stem, as at 41. The stem or second arm 42 of the T-shaped lever carries a roller 43, which is located between two shoulders of a collar member 44 fixed to the shaft 17. It is apparent, therefore,

that as the bell crank lever 36 is given a clockwisemovement, as viewed in Figure 1, by its roller 34 rising on the cam 33, the shaft 17 is given a lateral movement as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. This lateral. movement will be toward the far side of the press, but it will be understood that if the connecting rigging is changed so that the link 39 is connected to the other arm 45 of the T-shaped lever, the shaft will be moved toward the near side of the press. As shown, however, sheets are to be registered toward the far side of the press.

Some sheets when fed to the preliminary side register means are farther out of side register than others. Accordingly, the endwise throw of the shaft 17 laterally of" the press should be sufficient to accommodate the sheet out of side register a maximum amount. To accomplish its purpose, the shaft 17 must stop its lateral movement instantly when the edge of the sheet is in proper side position. Accordingly means have been provided to limit movement of the shaft 17 toward the side of the press in accordance 'withside register conditions; any excess in the throw caused by the cam. 33 being absorbed by a spring 46 coiled around link 39 and interposed between a nut 47 on said link and an abutment 48 on the T-shaped lever which one end of the link 39 is slidably mounted. T

In connection with the lateral movement of the sheet the shaft 17 is provided with a rack member 49 which permits rotary oscillatory movement of the shaft 17 without a correspondingmovement of the rack, the

latter being mounted on top of and riding are formed integrally with a sleeve mounted on the shaft 17 The arms 54 may be anchored toan associated frame structure 56 inanysuitable manner such as by arms 57. The gear wheel 52 has a cup shaped recess 58 in which a triangular shaped wedge member 59 is located. A housing cap 60 which is-loosely mounted on the shaft 53 has secured thereto three pins 61 which pro-ject inwardly between the flange of the gear 52 and the faces of the triangular wedge member 59. Normally when the pins 61 are in the position shown in Figure 6 an 'endwise movement of the rack 49 will cause a rotary movement of the gear 52. However, if the housing cap 60 is rotated to a given angle the pins 61 will wedge in between the triangular wedge block 59 and the flange of the gear 52 for preventing further rotary movement of the gear 52. For rotating the housing cap 60, one end of a link 62 is pivotally connected thereto, the other end thereof being connected to one arm 63 of a bell crank lever 64 secured to a pin 65 to which is also secured an arm 66 which is operatively connected to a core 67 actuated in an upward direction by a solenoid or coil 68 when the latter is energized. It is apparent, therefore, that when the solenoid 68 becomes energized the gear 52 will be preventedfrom rotating further and accordingly will lock the rack 49 and shaft 17 against further ondwise movement in the direction in. which they were traveling, thereby preventing further lateral movement of the sheet during preliminary side registering.

, The energization of the solenoid 68 is con trolled by a side detector finger 69 which extends downwardly in the path of lateral m ovementof the sheets of paper being registered, the latter of which are guided in their sidewise movement between guides 70 and 71secured to a frame or housing 72' mountedon a stationary shaft 73. The-detector finger 69 is carried by a pivotally mounted bracket 74 which carries an electrical contact 75 adapted to close an electric circuit when passed into engagement with an electrical contact 76 carried by a finger 77, the latter of which is electrically connected to a battery or source of electric energy 78. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that when a sheet of paper is fed laterally by the drop rolls 20 during endwise movement of the shaft 17, said sheet engages the detector finger 69 causing the latter to close the electric circuit at its contacts and 76, thereby energizing the solenoid 68 for: stopping rotation of the gear wheel 52 and endwise movement of the rack 49 and shaft 17 and therefore preventing further lateral movement of the sheet of paper during the preliminary side registering action, any excess in the throw caused by the cam 33 being absorbed by the spring 46. As soon as the sheet passes progressively forwardly away from the detector finger 69, the latter automatically swings in a manner to break the electric circuit at contacts 75 and 76, cansing a de-energization of the solenoid 68 whereupon the core 67 will drop and thereby release the gear 52, rack 49 and shaft 17, said rack and shaft with the drop rolls 20 returning to normal position laterally of the machine under the influence of a spring 78 connected to one arm 35 on lever 36.

In addition to the sheets having a preliminary side registering movement, means is also provided for giving said sheets a final side registering movement in this printing press. This final side registering movement of a sheet may take place while that sheet is still in engagement with the detector finger 69 and the circuit is closed at contacts 75 and 76. This further lateral or final side registering movement is permitted under these circumstances without disturbing the condition or proper registering of the sheet because the contact finger 77 is pivotally mounted and will freely swing in acounterclockwise direction as the detector finger 69 is forced further in a clockwise movement. In other words, the preliminary side register means accommodates a final side registering movement of the sheet material.

It will be understood that if the connections from the'cam 33 are changed from the arm 40 to arm 45 of the T-shaped lever for registering the sheet at the opposite side of the press the link 62 is to be disconnected from arm 63 of bell crank lever 64 and connected with the other arm 79 of said bell crank lever for preventing further rotary movement of the gear 52 in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in Figure 6, when the sheet being handled has been properly side registered.

By means of the arrangement disclosed a sheet of paper is fed laterally for side registering purposes as it is fed forwardly or progressively through the press and the side registering of the sheet is accurately controlled by improved mechanism adapted to meet Lall the requirements for successful commercial operation.

It ismy intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In printing press side registering mechanism, the combination of means including a positively rotated drop roll for moving a sheet in a plurality of directions, one of said directions being for side registering purposes and wedging means for limiting side registering movement of the sheet.

2. In printing press side registering mechanism, the combination of a drop roll, means through which said roll is given a sidewise movement for side registering a sheet, and means through which said roll is raised and lowered for respectively receiving and gripping a sheet preparatory to a side registering movement, and means for'positively rotating said drop roll.

3. In printing press registering mechanism, a roll having an up and down movement, a rotary movement and a sidewise movement, the roll having an up movement for receiving and releasing a sheet, a down movement for gripping the sheet, the rotary movement for progressively feeding the sheet and the sidewise movement for side registering the sheet, and wedge means for controlling the extent of side registering movement of said sheet.

4. In printing press side registering mechanism, the combination of a roll having a movement in a plurality of directions, means for moving the roll in one direction for receiving a sheet, means for moving said 105 roll in another direction for side registering said sheet, and wedge mechanism for controlling the extent of side registering movement of said sheet.

5. In printing press side registering mechanism, the combination of meansv for giving a sheet a preliminary side registering movement, and detector means whereby said preliminary side registering movement is limited, said detector means being capable of accommodating a further side registering movement of said sheet.

6. In printing press side registering mechanism, the combination of means for giving a sheet a preliminary side registering movement, and a detector member for controlling the eXtent of preliminary side registering movement of said sheet, said detector member being capable of movement for accommodating a final side registering movement of said sheet.

7. In printing press side registering mechanism, the combination of means for giving a sheet a preliminary side registering movement, and means for limiting preliminary side registering movement of said sheet mechanism, a detector member for limiting #10 including a plurality of movably mounted side registering'movement of a sheet which switch carrying members operatively assoengages same, said detector member being eiated with the sheet in a side registering capable of accommodating a further movemovement of the latter, said switch carrying ment of said sheet as the latter is given a members being capable of movement to acfinal registering movement. 1 commodate a final side registering movement Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day of the sheet. ofDecember, 1921.

8. In printing, press side registering CARL HENDERSON. 

